AFP, TOKYO
The Japanese government yesterday approved a record budget for the next fiscal year, ramping up spending on social welfare, as the population ages, and defense to tackle regional threats.
The ￥115.5 trillion (US$732 billion) budget for the year from April next year, agreed by the Cabinet, includes ￥8.7 trillion in defense spending.
It also includes social security spending of about ￥38.3 trillion — up from ￥37.7 trillion the previous year.
Japan Self-Defense Force personnel in amphibious assault vehicles take part in a joint landing exercise with Philippine and US troops in San Antonio, Philippines, on Oct. 6, 2018.
Photo: AFP
The Japanese Ministry of Defense said in a briefing document that Japan was facing its “toughest and most complex security environment” since World War II, repeating a warning from Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
Japan has a pacifist post-war constitution, which limits its military capacity to ostensibly defensive measures, but it updated key security and defense policies in 2022, explicitly outlining the challenge posed by China, and committed to double its defense spending to the NATO standard of 2 percent of GDP by 2027.
The ￥8.7 trillion approved yesterday would help pay for measures to help attract recruits to Japan’s Self-Defense Forces, and to improve relations between the US and Japanese militaries with residents of Okinawa.
It would also go toward a system to collect satellite information on ballistic missiles, such as those fired by North Korea, and the movement of vessels in waters around Japan, including territories disputed with China.
“Strengthening our defense capabilities is something we’re actively working on,” Ishiba said at an event organized by the Yomiuri newspaper on Thursday.
“Now matter how great our military tanks or vehicles are, it’s pointless if we don’t have enough people to move them,” said the prime minister, who has pledged to fix a shortage of new troops.
Another challenge facing the nation is its aging population caused by chronically low birthrates and a cautious approach to immigration.
Japan is one of the world’s oldest societies, and this year the proportion of its people aged 65 or older reached a record 29.3 percent.
The draft budget needs to be approved by parliament, and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its smaller coalition partner Komeito would need cooperation from opposition parties.
